Study the motion of objects launched into the air under the influence of gravity. This simulation demonstrates the independence of horizontal and vertical motion components - a fundamental principle in 2D kinematics.
Key Concepts: When an object is launched at an angle, its motion can be analyzed as two independent components. The horizontal velocity remains constant (ignoring air resistance), while the vertical motion follows the same rules as free fall with constant downward acceleration due to gravity.
Real-world Applications: Understanding projectile motion helps explain the flight paths of basketballs, cannonballs, water from fountains, and even planetary orbits. Engineers use these principles to design everything from sports equipment to spacecraft trajectories.
Explore how forces affect motion according to Newton's three fundamental laws. Visualize force vectors, acceleration, and the relationship between mass and motion in real-time.
Newton's Laws Explained:
1st Law (Inertia): An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion, unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
2nd Law (F=ma): The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.
3rd Law (Action-Reaction): For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Understanding Forces: This simulation shows how applied force, friction, weight, and normal force interact. Notice how the net force determines acceleration, and how friction opposes motion.
Observe how kinetic and potential energy transform in various scenarios while total mechanical energy remains constant (in the absence of friction). This fundamental principle governs everything from roller coasters to planetary motion.
Energy Types:
Kinetic Energy (KE): Energy of motion. Faster objects and heavier objects have more kinetic energy.
Potential Energy (PE): Stored energy due to position. Gravitational PE increases with height; elastic PE increases with compression or extension.
Conservation Principle: In the absence of friction and air resistance, mechanical energy (KE + PE) remains constant. Energy transforms between types but is never created or destroyed.
Real-world Examples: A pendulum converts between KE and PE, a rolling ball trades height for speed, and springs store and release elastic energy.
Investigate conservation of momentum in elastic and inelastic collisions. See how momentum and kinetic energy behave in different collision scenarios, from billiard balls to car crashes.
Momentum Basics: Momentum (p = mv) measures the "quantity of motion" - how hard it is to stop a moving object. Heavy objects and fast objects have high momentum.
Collision Types:
Elastic: Both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. Objects bounce off each other (like billiard balls).
Inelastic: Momentum is conserved, but some kinetic energy is lost to heat, sound, or deformation.
Perfectly Inelastic: Objects stick together after collision. Momentum is conserved, but maximum kinetic energy is lost.
Real Applications: Understanding collisions helps design safer cars, explains why freight trains are hard to stop, and describes particle interactions in physics experiments.
Study oscillatory motion in springs and pendulums. Understand the relationship between displacement, velocity, acceleration, and the restoring force that drives periodic motion.
What is SHM? Simple Harmonic Motion occurs when an object experiences a restoring force proportional to its displacement from equilibrium. This creates smooth, predictable oscillations.
Key Characteristics:
Restoring Force: Always points toward equilibrium and increases with displacement (F = -kx for springs).
Energy Exchange: Kinetic and potential energy continuously transform as the object oscillates.
Periodic Motion: The motion repeats with a constant period that depends only on the system properties, not the amplitude.
Real Examples: Grandfather clock pendulums, car suspension systems, guitar strings, earthquake building sway, and even atomic vibrations all exhibit simple harmonic motion.
Study uniform circular motion and centripetal force. Understand the relationship between angular velocity, centripetal acceleration, and the forces needed for circular motion.
Understanding Circular Motion: Even at constant speed, circular motion involves acceleration because the velocity direction constantly changes. This centripetal ("center-seeking") acceleration requires a net inward force.
Key Concepts:
Centripetal Force: Not a new type of force, but the net inward force (tension, gravity, friction, etc.) that keeps objects moving in circles.
Angular vs. Linear: While linear speed may be constant, angular velocity describes how quickly the object rotates around the center.
Acceleration Paradox: The object accelerates toward the center but never gets closer - the sideways motion exactly balances the inward acceleration.
Real Applications: Cars rounding curves, satellites orbiting Earth, washing machines, amusement park rides, and electrons orbiting atoms all demonstrate circular motion principles.